Rekindling a Golden Age
During the 19th century, New York’s high society was ruled by Caroline Astor, whose annual ball at her Rhode Island mansion, Beechwood, featured a guest list that comprised 400 of the city’s movers and shakers. The doyenne, however, might not have realised then that her influence and inspiration would continue halfway around the world nearly two centuries on at the St. Regis Shanghai.
A recent arrival to the dynamic Chinese city’s hospitality scene, the 491-room hotel is all about gilt-edge glamour, no doubt informed by Mrs. Astor’s legendary penchant for entertaining. Interiors tell a tale of old school maximalist elegance. Chinese calligraphy and gold foil artworks sit alongside stunning works by glass sculptor Dale Chihuly.
Perhaps the most conversation-starting adornments at the St. Regis Shanghai are the dazzling cityscape views from atop the 66-storey building. As with all St. Regis properties, guests have access to the hotel’s butlers, all of whom are trained in the precise art of packing and unpacking suitcases.
Dining highlights abound as well. At Yan Ting, the hotel’s Chinese restaurant, tea becomes the order of the day – specialty brews served in wine glasses are selected to pair with specially created dishes, while at Seki-tei’s live teppanyaki station, items are served piping hot – just perfect for chilly weather.
For drinks, the double-level St. Regis Bar is great to talk business or unwind with the ‘Mary Jing’ – Shanghai’s version of the Bloody Mary. This new creation is a liquid repository of the city’s heritage and culture. It is flavoured with Shanghainese spices and ingredients like preserved figs steeped in vodka and dried Osmanthus flowers.
Drawing inspiration from Mrs. Astor’s legendary soirees, the St. Regis Shanghai recently hosted its first midnight supper, attended by jewellery designer and St. Regis Connoisseur in China, Wan Bao Bao. As a jewellery maker, she designs pieces with a sense of beauty and carefully considers the emotions these pieces might evoke in a customer. The same can probably be said of the St. Regis experience.
